Every year, it seems that Christmas music starts earlier and earlier. I remember being distinctly offended this year hearing that one of my local radio stations had turned into an “all Christmas, all the time” station the day after Halloween.

November 1st, everyone? Really? Please no.

As you can probably guess, I’m one of those people who is all for celebrating the holiday season…at the right time. I would never tell you or anyone else how they should celebrate any holiday, but I personally like to give Thanksgiving its due. Only after the turkey has been carved and the leftovers devoured will I start to properly celebrate Christmas.

That being said, when I turned on my radio to hear Christmas carols on November 1st, I was irked. This has left me now (with two weeks until Christmas morning) feeling a little sore on the subject of holiday music. I wouldn’t say I’m AVOIDING it, exactly, but I haven’t exactly been seeking it out.

But hearing this Pentatonix cover of a classic carol, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” I swear all I want to listen to is holiday music.

This revamping of this holiday favorite is unlike anything I’ve ever heard, giving the song an a capella twist that’s truly original. Pentatonix has a funny way of doing that.

As always, the group is perfectly in sync with one another. Their blend is perfect; you can hear each one of them, but not in a way that it’s distracting. Together, their voices meld into tight group harmonies that make our ears so very happy.

But after beginning the song in a classic, choral arrangement, amazing beatboxer Kevin Olusola jumps in and takes the tempo up. They loop through the chorus again, but this time in an upbeat pace which gives song a really fresh feel while still keeping it classic.

Both their female and male tenor vocalist get to sing a verse, which they both absolutely slay. Underneath each verse, the other members sing straight up angelic chords that takes me back to being in church on Christmas Eve and singing in the choir! Somehow the song feels traditional in this sense, with a chic, a capella twist.

The whole group joins in for a perfectly timed bridge section, before bringing it back for the chorus one last time! But this final chorus does something really cool; they start at a slow, deliberate pace, only to gradually take the tempo up and up until they’re abruptly ending the number at double the original speed.

This was such an epic way to end what some might think of as a “boring” Christmas carol! Truly, there was nothing boring about this a capella version, it was so incredibly cool.

What did you think of Pentatonix’s take on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”? Is this your favorite cover that they’ve ever done, or is there another one you love more? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.